Teenagers from eight states across the southeast will battle it out on Saturday, September 26th, from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Laurel Park.
No, it’s not a gang war. It’s the High School Fishing Southeastern Conference Championship sponsored by FLW and the Bass Federation.
Imagine eight hours without a cell phone or game controller; what will these kids do? Look for the five heaviest bass they can find, that’s what!
“Right now we have thirty-five teams,” Brian Johnson, Communications Specialist for FLW Fishing, told me over the phone Friday afternoon.
And they are the best fishermen and women each state has to offer, most having won a grueling series of in-state competitions to qualify for the regional tournament. “Some of these teams are state champions and some are runners-up,” Johnson added.
“If only they had such a program when I was in high school,” I muttered to myself.
Johnson agreed that with so many options (or temptations) available to teens today (many of which also didn’t exist in the 1960s, thank you, Lord!) spending time on a lake trying to catch fish is near the top of the list.
Johnson explained that each year more and more high schools are organizing fishing teams, and both boys and girls are eligible to compete.
Of course, having a lake in your neighborhood certainly helps. That explains why three teams representing Georgia are from our immediate area: East Hall, West Forsyth and North Forsyth.
Johnson said from his office in Minnesota that it is obvious to FLW officials that high school bass fishing competitions are a natural fit in Dixie. “In the southeast bass fishing is very popular, there’s a lot of passionate fans and families.”
So, besides bragging rights, what do the winners of Saturday’s event get? “There will be a trophy and cash scholarships…a couple thousand dollars for college scholarships,” Johnson added. And a chance to move to the National Championship.
I can picture it now: my letterman’s sweater adorned with a large green “W” (for Walther High School, of course) varsity letter and a small leaping largemouth pinned to its corner. Those guys with nothing more than footballs pinned to their “W” would be so jealous!
